The Best Way to Reheat Store-Bought Tortillas

We tested 6 different ways to reheat standard store-bought corn and flour tortillas, to find the best method to get soft, pliable and strong tortillas for your tacos! No more frustrating mess with your corn tortilla falling apart before you even get to take a bite. From steaming, oven, pan and over an open flame, we got you covered with this Texas test kitchen experiment.

corn tortillas and flour tortillas on a blue striped tea towel

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There are countless ways to reheat tortillas, so I'm sure we missed some, but these are the top methods used by Very Veganish readers, when I surveyed them.

All of these methods are without added oil/fat, because honestly anything smothered in fat is going to be rich and soft, but also greasy. We're using either steam or dry heat to reheat the tortillas in each of these methods.

Ideally, what we're looking for in a warmed tortilla is:

soft - tender to the bite
pliable - can be bent without cracking
strong - won't break apart when filled

Corn tortillas

A big frustration for corn tortillas is that they fall apart easily. So, one of the tests we did for the corn tortillas was to fill them with a wet filling of charro beans and sour cream and see if they broke when lifted.

#1 - WINNER - Heat corn tortillas over gas stove fire

This method yielded the strongest corn tortillas in our test. They also have a slight smoky char to them, which we enjoy.

Downside is that you need a gas stove for this method. I wrote detailed instructions in a separate post on how to heat corn tortillas over a gas stove open flame.

Corn tortilla (heated over open flame) filled with beans and sour cream on white plate with more tortillas in tea towel

#2 - RUNNER-UP - Heat non-stick skillet, add tablespoon of water and steam corn tortilla until all water has evaporated. Flip tortilla.

Downside: May stick to the pan. I had to try this a few times before it worked for me without sticking horribly. But, if you can do it, these tortillas are tender, pliable and strong - the trifecta for corn tortillas!

Corn tortilla (heated in non-stick skillet with steam) filled with beans and sour cream on white plate with more tortillas in tea towel

#3 - Heat in microwave inside damp paper towel for 30 seconds, flipping halfway through.

This method is listed at #3 because it does yield soft and tender tortillas that are pliable. But, if they are left too long after steaming, they will fall apart. So, it's a good option if you're reheating just a few tortillas that you plan to eat right then.

This is not the method to use for a large amount that will sit on the table for awhile before you eat dinner.

Corn tortilla (heated in microwave inside damp paper towel) filled with beans and sour cream on white plate with more tortillas in tea towel

#4 - Heat in dry non-stick skillet

These fell apart. I'm guessing because they were just heated a little bit, not long enough to strengthen the tortilla.

I will say that after this test, we used this method to heat corn tortillas in a dry cast iron skillet just until they developed small golden-brown spots, then immediately put inside a container to steam and keep warm. That method works well!

Corn tortilla (heated in dry non-stick pan) filled with beans and sour cream on white plate with more tortillas in tea towel

#5 - Heat in oven in tin foil lined with parchment paper

These fell apart, also. Not recommended.

Corn tortilla (heated in oven) filled with beans and sour cream on white plate with more tortillas in tea towel

Flour tortillas

Okay, on to flour tortillas. We're talking standard store-bought tortillas here. Not fresh, homemade or raw flour tortillas that are cooked at home.

#1 - WINNER - Heat stack of flour tortillas in oven, wrapped in parchment paper-lined tin foil, at 300ºF for 10 minutes. Stays warm for 30 minutes!

Excellent if you're reheating flour tortillas for a crowd! If you're heating more than 15 tortillas, make several tin foil packages, rather than stacking them all in one. They will heat more evenly.

Flour tortilla (heated in oven inside parchment-lined foil pouch)

#2 - Heat over open fire on gas stove on low heat.

This method dries out the tortilla. Be careful the fire is not too high as it will make the tortilla hard.

Flour tortillas (heated over open flame and put inside tea towel to keep warm)

#3 - Heat in microwave wrapped in damp paper towel for 30 seconds, flipping halfway through.

This method worked, but resulted in slightly gummy tortillas. But, good in a pinch.

Flour tortilla (heated in microwave in a damp paper towel)

Takeaways

Ultimately, the best way to reheat tortillas is to incorporate both moisture and heat. Either use a dry heat first, then steam them inside a container. Or, use steam directly while heating (like via a damp paper towel).

The best results, especially for finicky corn tortillas, incorporated dry heat to strengthen the surface and then steam for a tender bite.

Taco Tuesday will be even better going forward with this vital knowledge!!! I hope you have a delicious week!